[Federal Register: March 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 44)]
[Notices]
[Page 11441-11442]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07mr06-80]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Recovery Plan for Vernal Pool Ecosystems of California and
Southern Oregon
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: We (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) announce the
availability of the Recovery Plan for Vernal Pool Ecosystems of
California and Southern Oregon. This recovery plan covers 33 species,
of which 20 are federally listed as threatened or endangered. These
species inhabit vernal pool ecosystems in California and southern
Oregon. This recovery plan includes recovery criteria and measures for
20 federally listed species. Federally endangered plants include
Eryngium constancei (Loch Lomond button-celery), Lasthenia conjugens
(Contra Costa goldfields), Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica (Butte
County meadowfoam), Navarretia leucocephala ssp. pauciflora (few-
flowered navarretia), Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha (many-
flowered navarretia), Orcuttia pilosa (hairy Orcutt grass), Orcuttia
viscida (Sacramento Orcutt grass), Parvisedum leiocarpum (Lake County
stonecrop), Tuctoria greenei (Greene's tuctoria), and Tuctoria
mucronata (Solano grass). Federally threatened plants include
Castilleja campestris ssp. succulenta (fleshy owl's clover), Chamaesyce
hooveri (Hoover's spurge), Neostapfia colusana (Colusa grass), Orcuttia
inaequalis (San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass), and Orcuttia tenuis
(slender Orcutt grass). Federally endangered animals include the
Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio), longhorn fairy
shrimp
[[Page 11442]]
(Branchinecta longiantenna), and vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus
packardi). Federally threatened animals include the vernal pool fairy
shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi) and delta green ground beetle (Elaphrus
viridis). The portions of the plan dealing with the delta green ground
beetle and Solano grass are a revision of the 1985 Delta Green Ground
Beetle and Solano Grass Recovery Plan.
The recovery plan addresses conservation of 10 plant species of
concern, including Astragalus tener var. ferrisiae (Ferris' milk
vetch), Astragalus tener var. tener (alkali milk vetch), Atriplex
persistens (persistent-fruited saltscale), Eryngium spinosepalum
(spiny-sepaled button-celery), Gratiola heterosepala (Boggs Lake hedge-
hyssop), Juncus leiospermus var. ahartii (Ahart's dwarf rush), Legenere
limosa (legenere), Myosurus minimus var. apus (little mouse tail),
Navarretia myersii ssp. deminuta (pincushion navarretia), and
Plagiobothrys hystriculus (bearded popcorn flower). The three animal
species of concern addressed in the recovery plan include the mid-
valley fairy shrimp (Branchinecta mesovallensis), California fairy
shrimp (Linderiella occidentalis), and western spadefoot toad (Spea
hammondii).
ADDRESSES: Copies of the recovery plan are available by request from
the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605,
Sacramento, California (telephone (916) 414-6600); Carlsbad Fish and
Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, California
(telephone (760) 431-9440); Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, 2493
Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California (telephone (805-644-1766);
Southwest Oregon Field Office, 2900 NW., Stewart Parkway, Roseburg,
Oregon (telephone (541) 957-3473); and Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office,
1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, California (telephone (707) 822-7201). An
electronic copy of this recovery plan will also be made available on
the World Wide Web at http://pacific.fws.gov/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html and http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/
ndangered.fws.gov/recovery/
for distribution in 4 to 6 weeks.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty Warne, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Sacramento address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point
where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their
ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program. To help
guide the recovery effort, we are working to prepare recovery plans for
most of the listed species native to the United States. Recovery plans
describe actions considered necessary for the conservation of the
species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting listed
species, and estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery
measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) (Act), requires the development of recovery plans for listed
species unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a
particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act as amended in 1988 requires
that public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be
provided during recovery plan development. The Draft Recovery Plan for
Vernal Pool Ecosystems of California and Southern Oregon was available
for public comment from November 18, 2004, through March 18, 2005 (69
FR 67601). Information presented during the public comment period has
been considered in the preparation of this final recovery plan, and is
summarized in an appendix to the recovery plan. We will forward
substantive comments regarding recovery plan implementation to
appropriate Federal or other entities so they can take these comments
into account during the course of implementing recovery actions.
The 33 species covered in this recovery plan occur primarily in
vernal pool, swale, or ephemeral freshwater habitats within California
and southern Oregon and are largely confined to a limited area by
topographic constraints, soil types, and climatic conditions.
Surrounding (or associated) upland habitat is critical to the proper
ecological function of these vernal pool habitats. Most of the vernal
pool plants and animals addressed in the recovery plan have life
histories adapted to the short period for growth and reproduction
within inundated or drying pools interspersed with long dormant periods
when pools are dry, and extreme year-to-year variation in rainfall.
Threats to the species include habitat loss, fragmentation, and
degradation due to urban development, recreation, agricultural
conversion and practices, and altered hydrology; non-native invasive
species; inadequate regulatory mechanisms; incompatible grazing
regimes; and stochastic events. All species covered in the recovery
plan primarily are threatened by the loss, fragmentation, or
degradation of vernal pool habitat throughout the following areas: the
Central Valley of California, the southern Sierra foothills, the
Carrizo Plain, portions of the Coast Ranges, the Modoc Plateau, the
Transverse Ranges, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas of California, and
the Klamath Mountains region in Oregon. Therefore, areas currently,
historically, or potentially occupied by the species are recommended
for habitat protection and/or special management considerations.
The objectives of this recovery plan are to: (1) Ameliorate the
threats that caused the species to be listed, and ameliorate any other
newly identified threats in order to be able to delist these species;
and (2) ensure the long-term conservation of the species of concern.
These objectives will be accomplished through implementation of a
variety of recovery measures including habitat protection, management
and restoration; monitoring; reintroduction, introduction, and
enhancement; research and status surveys; and public participation,
outreach, and education.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: December 16, 2005.
Paul Henson,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Region 1, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 06-1984 Filed 3-6-06; 8:45 am]
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